The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) continues its commitment in the disability sector by participating in the first-ever G7 event focused on “Inclusion and Disability,” held in Assisi from October 14 to 16, 2024. This event gathers the G7 nations along with representatives from Kenya, Tunisia, South Africa, Vietnam, and the EU Commissioner for Equality, all working towards the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Italy has signed and ratified. Italian Cooperation was among the first to adopt Disability Guidelines in line with the Convention’s principles, ensuring that development cooperation efforts concretely improve the lives of people with disabilities.
On the opening day, October 14, AICS officials, who are also members of the National Disability Observatory, participated in a meeting with representatives from Italian civil society and institutions within Italy’s Cooperation System. This session allowed participants to exchange experiences and best practices in the field.
AICS Director, Marco Riccardo Rusconi, attended the ministerial meeting titled “Everyone’s right to full participation in civil, social, and political life” at the Castello di Solfagnano. During this meeting, eight key priorities for inclusion were defined, including accessibility, independent living, employment inclusion, promotion of new technologies, sports, dignity in life, and the prevention and response to emergency situations stemming from conflicts and humanitarian crises.
At the conclusion of the event, the Charter of Solfagnano was adopted, reaffirming the commitment of the participating countries to enact concrete policies and actions for inclusion in alignment with the UN Convention. The Charter emphasizes the crucial role of international cooperation in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities worldwide. This commitment will be reinforced at the Global Disability Summit in Berlin in 2025.
